Hermione's Secret
by Reetinkerbell
Summary: Hermione is keeping something from her two best friends.


- **Hermiones Secret** -   
_Book; 3 Chapter; 21_   
By Reetinkerbell

- - - -

Hermione was at heart an honest person, most of all with her best friends. She could of course keep secrets from them, something she had really proven in their third year and the time turner, but she rather not do it and told everything to her three best friends. 

There was only one exception. 

Her relationship with one Draco Malfoy, Slytherin extraordinaire and the bane of their existence for the past 6 years. 

- - - -

It had all started in their sixth year, when she and draco had been assigned to patrol together. Dumbledore had wanted to create a better inter-house relation and saw it fit to start with the two of them. He had also made it perfectly clear that another reason they were assigned to work together as much was due to the fact that they were both in with a chance of becoming Head's next year. They just needed to learn how to work together. 

But, patrolling together also meant that they were stuck together for 3 nights a week, 4 hours at a time, alone in a big dark castle. 

It was clear during their first patrol together that if they wanted to prove to Dumbledore, and the rest of the faculty, that they were responsible and didn't take their petty arguments with them to 'work', they would have to make a pact of sorts. 

The pact was simple, while on patrol they would focus on the job and work together. They would not throw insults at each other or start another argument. 

The next few nights they spent in silence. Neither wanting to end up arguing and throwing insults, as that would turn out badly for the both of them. Instead they stayed silent, only talking when nessesary. 

A few weeks had passed and the more time they spent together, the more they talked with each other. They talked about school, homework, books and their future plans at first, not wanting to get too personal so soon. 

In each other they found their intellectual match and they would more often than not steal away from their friends to sit somewhere, away from prying eyes, doing homework together or talking about a book they both had read. 

As the weeks went by, their friendship grew, as did their more-than-friendly feelings for the other. 

They would try to meet every other day, even when they had patrol together later that night. When they went to sleep, their dreams were filled with the others smiling face, an answering smile appearing on their sleeping faces. 

Despite their growing attraction and feelings for the other, things remained the same up til' the winter break. They were in the library, and as the few students who had stayed during the holidays didn't want to spend their days in the library, they had it almost all to themselves, and were able to sit in the open, yet hidden from view. 

They had been discussing the hidden meaning of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' when Draco suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, had leaned close to Hermione and kissed her, right on the lips. 

- - - -

After that, things had been a bit uncomfortable between the two. Hermione had been so shocked when he kissed her, and before she had a chance to start kiss him back, he had drawn away. Before she had a chance to say anything to him, or kiss him herself, he had fleed from the library. Draco thought that she had rejected him. He hated himself for having put his feelings out there for her to see. 

He was able to avoid Hermione for all of two days, before the two bumped into each other in a corridor. He'd been on his way to the library to turn in a book and she had been looking for him. 

At first neither said anything, both standing still in shock and just looking at each other, neither really knew what to say or do. Despite the fact that she had been looking for him ever since their last encounter in the library, she didn't have a clue as what to say to him when she actually found him. 

After a few moments in silence, Draco broke the eye contact and walked past her, but she grabbed his arm, stopping him and making him turn around to look at her again. 

"What do..." Draco started to say, but Hermione interupted him by standing up on her toes and kissing him. 

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and suddenly, their sixth year at Hogwarts was over. 

Draco and Hermione were still together, now more than ever. The only one who knew about it was their parents, as they wanted to spend the summer together. Neither had been prepared to tell their friends, or let the whole school know about them, even though the hostillity and house rivaly didn't play such a big part in everyones lives any longer, but the houses were still far from friends and their own friends wouldn't understand. 

They spent the summer at the Malfoy manor and the Granger house, both of their parents accepting each other easilly. 

Narcissa had never held the same beliefs as her late husband, and now that she was free of him she could spend her time however she wanted, and with whomever she wanted. Narcissa didn't really have anyone to spend time with. 

All of her 'friends' were the wives of other death eaters and she had never liked them, only spending time with them to get away from Lucius and 'cause he had told her too. Hermiones mother, Anna, didn't have anyone to talk to about Hogwarts and all things magic and the two women soon became friends, they spent a lot of time together learning about each others worlds. 

When Hermione and Draco got the news that they were both appointed head girl and head boy, the two families celebrated together in the Grangers backyard, having a traditional muggle barbeque. 

Two weeks before school started Hermione met up with Harry, Ron and Ginny in Diagon alley and they all noticed how happy Hermione seemed. When they asked her if something unusually good had happened she told them about her being this years head girl and the four friends celebrated her achivement at the Leaky Cauldron. 

When Ron asked if she knew who the head boy was, Hermione told them that she didn't, and they accepted the answer with smiles on their faces, before starting to discuss who they thought the head boy would be. 

When they asked Hermiones opinion on the matter, she had just smiled and said: "With my luck its probably Malfoy. But he's not all that bad really." 

The table had been silent for a few moments, her three best friends staring at her in shock and Hermione sighed. 

"Honestly. I've been patrolling with him for a whole year. He's not that bad. You have noticed the changes in him haven't you?" she asked and Ginny nodded. 

"A few months ago, I bumped into someone and had dropped all my books. He actually helped me pick them up, just like that." 

"See, he's not all that bad." Hermione said with a smile, but even though Harry and Ron had noticed the changes in Draco, which wasn't hard to do since they had been the ones he made the most fun off, they didn't say anything, and the subject was dropped. 

- - - -

Back at Hogwarts, Hermione and Draco found themselevs sharing a common room which gave them even more privacy. It was a relief to the both of them, as during the summer they had gotten so used to living together and sharing a bed, that they didn't know how they were going to deal had they had separate rooms. They did of course have their own bedroom, but now they didn't have to sneak all over the castle just to get to each other in the night. They also didn't have to worry about dorm mates walking in on them in a compromising position. 

Harry and Ron had, after about two months of school, asked her what it was like to live with Malfoy. She had just smiled at them and said that it wasn't a big deal. They had their own private bedrooms and bathrooms she said, and that Malfoy spent most of his free time in his bedroom. She just neglected to say that she was in there too most of the time and that she practically lived in there with him. 

But her answer seemed to satisfy Harry and Ron and they had dropped the subject, instead starting to talk about something more important, the upcomming Gryffindor/Ravenclaw Quidditch game. 

- - - -

The weeks passed and Hermione felt the strain of keeping such a big secret from her friends, but she still feared that they wouldn't believe her and that they would do something foolish. She and Draco had had a talk about it and had decided that they would wait til' after graduation to tell anyone. By then it wouldn't be such a big deal, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin being in love. 

One evening, Hermione and some of her fellow 7th year Gryffindors sat together in their common room, drinking and agonizing about the upcoming NEWT's. Hermione hadn't want to come there, wanting to spend her time studying and being with Draco, but had agreed when Harry started to complain that she never spent anytime with them anymore. 

That evening a drunken Seamus and Dean had talked about why Draco had changed. After rambling on for a while, Seamus suddenly yelled; "He's probably getting laid.". 

- - - -

Everyone had eventually just accepted Dracos new attitude and the changes in Hermione as both of them just having grown up. Neither did the connection, as they all thought it was impossible. The two didn't spend time together outside of their common room, and when they did they had their head duties as an excuse. 

The NEWT's came and went, and the 7th year students were finally able to relax and really take it easy for the first time in a long while as their graduation approached. 

Everyone was in high spirits on their graduation day. All the students were dressed in new robes, in their house colors. There were speeches from the faculty, dances were shared, hugs exchanged and tears spilled as promises were made and soon they found themselevs on the Hogwarts train, the last time for many, on their way back to the real world. 

Hermione, Ron and Harry sat together in a compartment, wanting to share the last trip home together, and Hermione thought it was finally time to share her secret. 

It came as a huge shock for them both, but thankfully they took her and Dracos relationship well. They could even understand why the pair had wanted to keep it a secret. They promised not to make life to hard on Draco, and as long as he behaved, try to be friends with him, for her sake. They loved her and wanted her to be happy. If Draco made her happy, then who were they to ruin it for her. 

They had shared a big group hug and Ron made them all laugh when he added that if Draco ever hurt Hermione, he would turn him into a ferret for her. 

- - - -

About one month later, anyone who picked up that days copy of '_The Daily Prophet_' could read; 

**_ "Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger; Married. _**

The newly graduated Head Boy and Head Girl got married last night under a star filled sky on the grounds of Hogwarts.The cermony was conducted by their old head master, Dumbledore and the two exchanged vows in the presence of their closest family and friends. Sources report that the newly weds are to spend their 4 week long honeymoon in one of the Malfoy familys Caribbean house before coming back to England as they will both start teaching at Hogwarts in fall." 

- - - - 

The End. 

- - 

Feedback? Love some. Disclaimer; J.K Rowling is the Queen. Thanks to Angela (spikesbint) for the beta help. 

- - - - 


End file.
